Compact laser printer with light tight compartment access

Abstract

A laser printer characterized by compact construction, and by ease of servicing and film loading. A light-tight upper compartment contains a printer station which includes a film moving roller at one side of the apparatus, and toward which film is fed sideways from a registration station. The printer includes a laser and optics located above the alignment station. Various sizes of film are stored in respective magazines carried by stacked drawers located below the alignment station, and a transport mechanism located in front of the magazine withdraws film from the drawers and carries it upwardly and moves it into the alignment station by movement of the film toward the rear of the apparatus. Film moving from the printer station moves downwardly along one side of the machine into a chute and then to a roller device which can direct the exposed film either into a storage magazine under the fresh film magazines, or to an adjacent processor located to the side of the printer. Operating electronics are in a separate compartment below the light-tight compartment and are shielded to protect the upper compartment components from electronic emissions. A blower exhausts heat from the lower compartment.